Staff

Yves Auriol, Maitres d’Armes and Head Coach

A native of France, Maitre Yves Auriol earned his fencing master’s degree from the Institute National du Sport in Paris. Established as one of the world’s top fencing instructors, he with his brother Leon, also a fencing master, formed the Salle Auriol Fencing Clubs in Portland and Seattle. In addition, he was the fencing coach at Portland State University from 1975 until 1985.

Maitre Auriol was the head coach of the men’s and women’s fencing team at the University of Notre Dame from 1985-2003. Over the course of 17 seasons, Maitre Auriol’s Notre Dame fencers combined to win 54 All-America honors, six U.S. National Champions and five Academic All-American awards. Coach Auriol was honored with the U.S. National Fencing Coach of the Year from the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association in 2002 and the NCAA Coach of the Year in 2001.

A four-time U.S. Olympic team coach, Maitre Auriol coached the U.S teams in Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992 (and Moscow 1980).

Maitre Auriol moved to Las Vegas in 2003. He was inducted into the USFA Hall of Fame, at the Summer National Championships in Miami 2007 and most recently has coached his students to 5 U.S. National Championships, 4 Pacific Coast Section Championship titles, 11 World Cup competitors and 2 World Championship competitors. The Academy is indeed fortunate to have Maitre Auriol, one of the most successful and respected coaches in the Olympic sport of fencing as our Head Coach and Director of Fencing.

Jacques Lacour, Maitres d’Armes

Maitre Lacour earned his Fencing Master’s Degree from Ecole Nationale des Maitres d’Armes. He started teaching in Chalons en Champagne in 1999.  Maitre Lacour has coached  two gold medalists at World Cup of Clubs, 8 French National Champions, 3 European Cup Champions and 3 Olympians.

 

 

Ed Richards, Maitres d’Armes

Maestro Ed Richards, fencing master, international rated referee and national coach was a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic Team. He was also a 2-time U.S. National Champion in foil 1962 and 1963. Maestro Richards, a U.S. National coach and Junior World team coach has coached numerous national champions and brings a tremendous wealth of experience to the Academy. He received the USFA Fencing Officials’ Commission award and conducts referee clinics as well as his popular “Fencing Focus’ seminars. He was inducted into the USFA Hall of Fame in 2005.

 

 

 

Marion Tonchev, Prevost d’Armes

Marion Tonchev comes from Ruse Bulgaria and started fencing in 1982 at age 12. And was four time Bulgarian National Champion in foil.  He was the number one ranked  foil fencer in Bulgaria for four years.  As a junior fencer, he fenced in over 15 International Junior and Senior events, taking a silver medal in 1986 in Torun Poland.  Marion has his Prevot d’Armes certification.